October2, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC Congressman Ted Poe (TX-02) announced that he filed a Resolution calling on Congress to enact comprehensive border security and immigration enforcement legislation to ease the burden on State and local governments who are absorbing enormous costs to deal with illegal immigration. With wide bipartisan support, H. Res. 1074 seeks to support these states and local governments nationwide who are taking steps on their own and passing laws to discourage illegal immigration in their communities.

Our state and local governments today are shouldering more and more of the burden of illegal immigration because of the failed policies of the federal government to effectively secure the nations borders, said Poe. While Congress continues to debate the best ways to secure the border and deal with illegal immigration, the states and local governments are being forced to act. We must support them in these efforts and call on the federal government to quickly pass comprehensive border security and enforcement legislation to assist them.

H. Res 1074 acknowledges State legislatures, such as those in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi, and Virginia that have introduced legislation to enhance the ability of State and local agencies to discourage illegal immigration and to ease the burden placed on the States. It also recognizes local governments, such as those in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, Palm Bay County, Florida, Riverside, New Jersey, Riverside, California, and Suffolk County, New York that have introduced city ordinances to enhance the ability of local governments to discourage illegal immigration.

Congressman Poe is a member of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus and serves on the House Committee on International Relations, Terrorism Subcommittee. For more info in Congressman Poes views on illegal immigration, please visit our website, www.house.gov/poe.